Hiking in Pearls

Tag: Abundant Life

  • Climbing Ladders and Building Faith

    Climbing Ladders and Building Faith

    I hung up Christmas lights today.

    Scared.

    With Christmas lights in hand, I stood at the bottom of the ladder and looked up at the eve of the house. It’s for the boys, I coaxed myself.

    By the fifth rung my extended ladder bounced like I was standing in a boat bobbing on the waves. I thought of the rock I wedged under one foot of the ladder to stabilize it before my climb. I hope it doesn’t slip off that rock. My knees began to quiver. I can’t do this. We will be fine without lights. I scurried down faster than a mouse after cheese.

    With the solid ground below my feet my knees began to still. I looked back up the ladder. People do this all the time.

    “Jesus, will I be safe?” I asked aloud.

    “Yes.” I heard His still small voice.

    Trusting Jesus gave me the courage I needed to climb the ladder again. In all honesty, I was still scared but trusting my Savior this time.

    What if I fall?

    Doubt tried to stir in my mind.

    Well, it’s not that high so I probably won’t get hurt too bad.

    I trusted that no matter what happened, I was going to be okay.

    I hung all the lights I could within arm’s reach.

    Once I was off the ladder, I wrestled it over a couple of feet and rested it back into place against the house.

    Steady.

    Additional relief rushed in from not needing the rock this time. This climb was easier. I was no longer scared.

    Fear gave way to Faith.

    I believe that The Lord uses all things to prepare us for the good works He has ordained in advance for us (Ephesians 2:10).

    Even Christmas lights and wobbly ladders.

    I learned today that I can do hard things, even when I’m scared.

    In a far more intimate way, I relearned what the scripture means when it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

    It’s all about Faith in Christ, no matter the situation.

    What about you friend? Where is God calling you to leave fear and step out in faith?

  • Forgiveness – Part 1

    Forgiveness – Part 1

    The Silence

    In the quiet hours of the morning, I sat in solitude. Before the house began to stir, I thought about past wrongs done to me. I had already made the decision to forgive these trespasses. Yet, it was in this moment, that it occurred to me, I don’t have to talk about it anymore.

    I realized that silence, is the final act of forgiveness.

    The more I thought on this new concept the more that it made sense. If I have truly forgiven a wrong done to me, why would I continue to talk about it? My eyes were now open.

    When I choose to think on, or talk about a wrong done to me, it stirs up fresh pain and anger. New life is breathed into past hurts. The offense becomes just as raw as when it first happened. Fresh tears stream down my cheeks while hurt and anger wrestle in my heart. I have opened a time portal and stepped aside to allow things from the past to creep in and rob my present. Any joy that I should be experiencing in this moment is forfeited and exchanged for a tromp in the mud and muck of the past instead.

    But oh, what freedom is found in full forgiveness! (more on that next week) No longer bound by the past, I can now live fully in the gift of today! I don’t have to give my time, thoughts, and conversations to those things that now lay behind me.

    It is the same when we come to a place of repentance and confess our sins to Jesus. When we accept His work of forgiveness, through His death, burial, and resurrection, He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west. Never to be remembered again (Psalm 103:12).

    That is Good News!

    Once we are forgiven, Jesus NEVER brings up our sins again.

    He doesn’t talk about it!

    So why do we?

    The name, “Christian” means belonging to Christ. It was first intended to be derogatory to the “mini-Christs” that were living out Jesus’ teachings. This stirs me to challenge all Christians.

    Let us live up to our name!

    Let us forgive in the fullness of Christs love. Let us stop talking about the terrible things that have been done to us. Instead let us now place our efforts in forgetting those things that are forgiven and fully live in the abundant life Jesus offers us now.

    As I close for today, I want to remind you that Final Victory Comes In The Silence! Stay strong in the faith my friend, spurring each other on in love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).

    Continue in the Good Fight of Faith (1 Timothy 6:12)

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